Sign the Petition to

Citizens of the world, Community Leaders of the County & City of Sacramento CA

Senior Citizen Fights to Save Companion Pet Seized for Three Years

--Small Nip Not Worthy of Euthanasia--

Sacramento, Ca. — April 3, 2013 — Sandi
York, an elderly disabled Sacramento resident who lives on a fixed income of
medical disability and who relied on her dog for companionship, is now spending
her years and money fighting to save her dog Bandit, an eight year old mixed-breed
female. Three years have come and gone and Bandit remains in the custody of Animal
Care & Regulation (‘ACR’) in Sacramento County for allegedly nipping a man
and inflicting a bite the size of a grain of rice. Today, the fight to save
Bandit from euthanasia continues.

“Bandit means everything to me. I’m sick,
I’m tired, and I miss her terribly and want her to come home. It seems to me
that she and I are growing old apart and it breaks my heart each time I walk
away from our daily visits together,” said Sandi York, the dog’s owner. “Bandit
has always been a sweet well-behaved girl. I think she was scared and was only
trying to protect us when someone knocked insistently on the door for what
seemed like five minutes. She didn’t know what was going on, we didn’t know. It
happened so quickly and we’re sorry. She doesn’t deserve to die for this.”

The County of
Sacramento Animal Care & Regulation (‘ACR’) has held Bandit now for
three years and they won’t release her even though she has not displayed any
aggression while in their custody nor have they been willing to negotiate a
release with the owner. During the past three years, there have been numerous
hearings, court filings, and extensions filed on Bandit’s behalf in an effort
to save her life. The order to euthanize Bandit was issued at an administrative
dog hearing in an office at the ACR shelter about 45 days after the incident
back in April 2010. The determination to euthanize Bandit was made by one
single person at the hearing where she deemed that the bite Bandit inflicted
caused ‘severe injury’ and worthy of Bandit’s execution.

Subsequent to the administrative
dog hearing, a judge later ruled at a Writ hearing that Bandit was solely
responsible for a single small bite and gave his recommendation for the
reassessment and removal of the ‘severe injury’ bite imposed during the initial
ACR administrative hearing. The judge based his recommendation on information
presented by Bandit’s counsel at the Writ hearing that revealed the extent of
the bite wound – characterized to be the size of a grain of rice – barely
visible and clearly not disfiguring or to have caused ‘severe injury’. To this
date, the bite class has not been reassessed or reclassified. The owner
believes her and Bandit’s rights were violated and that the order to euthanize Bandit
based on the initial assessment of the bite wound is inaccurate, unfair, and
unjust and should have been reassessed long ago. An appeal has been filed with
the US Court of Appeals.

York concluded, “We have been
pleading with the ACR for a reassessment of the bite wound. The administrative
dog hearing individual who ruled on the bite three years ago is no longer at
the ACR. We have pleaded with the County of Sacramento Board of Supervisors as
well as the Executive Office to bring light to Bandit’s situation, and we have
asked the ACR Director to step in repeatedly but he is adamant and will not
allow us the reassessment needed that will help save Bandit. The County has
been totally unresponsive and unwilling to work with us. Our only hope at this
point is an appeal, but that could take a long time and is costly. We are
hoping for Divine intervention and to rally support from the community.”

Prior to this case, Bandit had
never been seized or needed to be defended nor heard before any administrative
dog hearing person, group, or judge due to any behavior on her part and has
always been a well-balanced and friendly companion pet.

About the owner:

Sandi York is an elderly disabled resident
of Citrus Heights in the County of Sacramento and lives in a modest home that
she shared with Bandit. Ms. York drives to the ACR shelter daily to visit
Bandit and keep both her own and Bandit’s spirits high. The expense for
Bandit’s lodging at the ACR shelter are being paid for by the owner. The legal
expenses up to recently had been pro bono and that relationship has terminated.
Beginning this year, it was necessary to seek new legal pro bono representation
for a more aggressive strategy to save Bandit. The owner is trying to raise
money to cover the expenses associated with saving Bandit.

About Bandit:

Ms. York found Bandit, a female mixed
breed dog, along a road on a rainy day six years ago. A vehicle had apparently
struck Bandit. Ms. York rescued Bandit and got her immediate medical attention.
They had been inseparable until April 2010.
Videos of Bandit’s nature and demeanor can be seen on her Saving Bandit Facebook page
where she has over 3,300 fans from all over the world hoping to help save her
life. Bandit loves to watch TV for long periods of time and plays well with
other dogs and loves people. Bandit is fully trained and follows all basic
commands. Help save Bandit.

How this will help

We need to help Bandit's family by offering our support any way we can so Bandit and Sandi York may be reunited. This could happen to anyone and has happened already to many helpless dog owners who have had their family pets taken and destroyed. It is vital that we send a strong message to those people keeping Bandit that the citizens of the world will no longer tolerate their abuse of authority and disregard for the life of a beloved family pet. Please sign today and share with your friends. We need more signatures and appreciate your time and support. Warmly, on Bandit's Behalf and visit and share Bandit's Blog